Skoda releases teaser photos of the Karoq crossover

Well, you guys don’t have to wait too long for its debut. And even before Thursday, a sneak peek of the compact crossover has been posted online to ease the anticipation. Though the photos are much of a tease, despite the fact that one of them is just a silhouette, and the others are still in their camouflage, we can sort of imagine how it looks like already. First of all, we can tell that it is a mini version of its big brother - like a Kodiaq built on a 75-percent scale, and both models resemble one another a lot.

The Karoq was built with slightly larger upper headlights, and the lower ones have been reshaped. Its rear end has new LED taillights that extend onto the upper area of the electric trunk lid. Like I said, it is very similar to the Kodiaq with only subtle changes.

Inside the cabin, the Karoq will be getting Skoda’s newest infotainment system in glass - like the one in the facelifted Octavia and Kodiaq. Aside from that, it will be equipped with an all-digital instrument cluster which is something new from the Czech automaker. Other details include an electric parking brake and glossy black bits, and of course, LED ambient lighting in ten different colours that customers can choose from.

Just like any other vehicle from Skoda, the Karoq will be offering plenty of space in the cabin and the trunk. The trunk has a capacity of 521 liter with the rear seats on, and a whopping 1,630 liters when the seats are folded down. If you need to carry a lot more things, then it shouldn’t be a problem as the rear seats can be removed to maximize the space up to 1,810 liters, turning the crossover into a cargo van.

The company plans to offer two gasoline and three diesel engines, including the new 1.5 TSI Evo. Customers can opt for an all-wheel drive system that comes with a dual-clutch, seven speed automatic gearbox, or a cheaper option that is a FWD with manual transmission.

All I can say is that model looks like it’s going to be a strong competitor within its segment. And if you are going to be in Stockholm this week, you might want to check this beauty out in person on May 18. The Karoq is then expected to go on sale in the second half of 2017.